One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you
know what I just heard about Diogenes?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied, "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass
a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
'Triple filter?" asked the acquaintance.

"That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about Diogenes
let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is
Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is
true?"

"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it."

"All right," said Socrates, "So you don't really know if it's true or not.
Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are
about to tell me about Diogenes something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something about Diogenes that may be bad, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued, "You may still
pass the third test though, because there is a third filter, the filter of
Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about Diogenes going to be useful to
me?"

"No, I'm not sure really."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is neither True nor
Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me or anyone at all?"
The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example of why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why Socrates never found out that Diogenes was banging his
wife.

I have a question about the Greeks, particularily the women...Why always the joking comments about Greek love making...I realize every Greek woman I've ever seen was built like one of the 'brick' ones, but what's the magic? French women I can kinda relate to having been stationed in the Old French Morocco area for a couple of years...They just 'ooze' of it like those Vermont maple trees do the sap for syrup! You didn't know that, Pilgrim...But back to the Greek Gals....enlighten this old Iowa farm hand!!!! Chief